Barre supervisor urges support for ‘We’ candidates, not ones who would set town back

Editor:

The June 9 letter to the editor by George McKenna once again shows how he misleads and does a disservice to everyone.

The reality of developing a town budget involves the entire Town Board. We discuss and question every part of it before we as a Town Board vote on it. Because of a small window of time prior to when we vote is offered by NY State in which we can decide to vote to go over the tax cap, we discuss that option but we haven’t voted for it and kept the budget under. George is also not the only successful business owner on the Town Board either.

Now I’m going to sound like George. When I first took office almost eight years ago, I did not like how the town’s money was sitting in a low interest bank account. We decided at that time to invest in CD’s that provided a higher interest rate.

Later when networking with other Supervisors, I learned about an investment program that we could earn higher interest. I contacted the NY State Comptroller’s Office to make sure we can invest in the program and received a “green light.” I then contacted the area representative for further information to share with the board and ask them to address the board.

After the presentation, we discussed our options and we as a whole voted to invest in the program. George was right about one thing; we do see a greater return on our investment. But George lied, it was I doing my due diligence as the Financial Officer for the Town of Barre that investigated and presented the information to the Town Board so that we could vote on it.

Water District #10 would have been in the ground in 2020 if not for COVID. As we all know the cost of everything doubled including the materials for WD#10. This resulted in a greater yearly expense to the residents of the district. Prior to COVID we had about 90% of the residents in favor of the district. Post COVID that dropped to 30-40% due to the increased cost.

We canvassed the residents and had a public hearing to get their feeling of the situation. Some of the residents believed George was discouraging them from installing the water district. We have been pursuing different and additional funding sources to find a way to lower the cost. We have not stopped trying to cut the costs. Next month we are pursuing another option to lower the cost.

A Comprehensive Plan is to lay out the plan for town development in the future. George, who was the Town Board representative to the Comp Plan Committee, became the self-appointed chairperson who then pushed his private agenda and dwelled upon the past – specifically, Heritage Wind, and not the future of the town.

As an active member of “Clear Skies Above Barre,” George uses every platform to try and cause blockage in a project that has been approved by the state and will be constructed. George’s agenda is to dwell on the past and not look to the future. George stated there was opposition to updating the Comp Plan. Again, he tells an untruth. There was no opposition to updating the plan just his private agenda. Sounds like he was the wrong person to be on the Comp Plan Committee.

George, his wife, Iva, and Scott Burnside, all members of Clear Skies Above Barre, have their own hidden agenda. They all want you to believe that there is still a chance to stop Heritage Wind. If these three get into office and try stopping a state-approved project then there will be lawsuits. Who will pay for all the legal fees and judgments? We, the residents will pay through higher taxes.

George talks about what he believes are harmful issues of having wind turbines and pushes his beliefs onto anyone that will listen as the truth. George uses non-researched, invalid, information from the internet and sells it as the truth. This is a man who, prior to being on the Town Board, stood in the back of the room during a Town Board meeting, holding a strobe light in the faces of the board members and was laughing. This is the man who up until seven years ago, believed in wind turbines.

Yes, the amount of money the town will receive from Heritage Wind will be less per year than originally planned. The payment to the town is based on the maximum number of megawatts that each turbine can produce times a set amount per Mw – not what it does produce.

The original turbines were large and would have a larger cumulative Mw capacity. Through no fault of Heritage Wind, the manufacturer stated that they could provide that model but offered the next smaller model. Smaller model, smaller amount of Mw’s per turbine but still the same agreed amount per Mw. So yes, the town will receive less money per year. A “successful businessman” would realize that issues do arise. I’m sure that he has had issues with his supplies as well.

If George did his homework he would have known that there is a decommissioning agreement in place. There is an insurance bond, made out to the Town of Barre to cover the costs in case they or their successor leave. This bond is to be revisited every five years to re-evaluate the cost of decommissioning and set the new bond amount.

With the two new major energy projects going into the town, there will be a substantial amount of money coming to the town and should be applied towards our town taxes lowering them if not eliminating them for 30 years.

Scott Burnside has written to the state saying he will do whatever he can to stop Heritage Wind. That sounds like a lawsuit to me and increased taxes. If Scott were truly interested in becoming the Supervisor, you would think he would be more involved in the job entails. He rarely even shows up for a board meeting if at all. He has signs around town but how many residents have had a chance to talk to him and hear his platform other than stop Heritage Wind?

George McKenna in his letter was all “I” as if he is the only one on the board. The Town Board consists of five members that work together as a “We.” NY State requires Planning Board members to complete at least four hours of training every year. George was on the board for three years and completed ZERO hours of training.

The state also requires Town Board members to complete at least two hours of training every year. In his 3.5 years on the board he has completed only two hours total his first year in office. Does it look like he takes his job very seriously to do his best for the Town of Barre that he says he trying to “fight for the health and safety of our residents”? A man who tells untruths and spins them to fit his beliefs.

Iva McKenna, the lady that stands on tabletops in a Town Board meeting. Sends text messages to her husband, George, during board meetings coaching him what to say.

These are the same two people that publicly claimed that we shouldn’t have brothers-in-law on the town board. They could influence the outcomes of the board. But guess what? They saw no problem with a father (George) and daughter to be on the board at the same time and now they want husband and wife to be on the board at the same time for the next four years? Sounds like a control of board outcomes to me.

If you want representation on the Town Board that have for years worked on other boards and do complete their training every year. If you want representatives that will listen and respond to your concerns, representatives that will look forward and not backward.

Then the team you want are, as Supervisor, Stephen Coville, for Town Board, David Allen and Wesley Miller.

If you want to go backwards with untruths, hidden agendas, all with a smile and a candy, then vote for the others but be careful what you wish for.

Dr. Sean P. Pogue

Supervisor for Town of Barre